Daily Readings - Thu Sep 21 2023
Ephesians
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.4There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Matthew
9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples.11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Sermon
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the call to live as one body in Christ and to embrace God’s mercy in our lives. In the first reading from Ephesians, St. Paul urges us to live in a way worthy of our Christian vocation, with humility, patience, and love. He reminds us that we are all part of the same body, united by one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. Each of us has been given unique gifts to build up the body of Christ and to grow in unity and knowledge of the Son of God. This passage emphasizes the importance of living in harmony and recognizing the diverse roles we play in the life of the Church.
In the Gospel, Matthew’s call to follow Jesus and the subsequent dinner with tax collectors and sinners challenge us to think about who we include in our circle of relationships. The Pharisees criticized Jesus for dining with those considered unworthy, but Jesus responded by quoting the prophet Hosea: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” This encounter reminds us that the heart of God’s law is not about external rituals but about showing compassion and love to those who are marginalized. Jesus came not to call the righteous but sinners, and this truth should inspire us to reach out to others with the same mercy and love that God has shown us.
These readings are deeply connected. Both emphasize the unity of God’s people and the call to live with humility and compassion. In Ephesians, we are reminded of our shared identity as members of Christ’s body, while in Matthew, we see how Jesus modeled this unity by breaking down social barriers. As we reflect on these passages, let us ask ourselves: How am I contributing to the unity of the body of Christ? Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone to show mercy to those who may feel excluded or unworthy? May we strive to live with the humility and love that Jesus exemplified, recognizing that we are all in need of God’s healing grace. Let us go forth, then, and learn what it means to desire mercy, even as we seek to be instruments of that mercy in the lives of others.